In turn, Kuro cast a piercing glance at Taguma. They stared at each other in silence, like hunters—and the next second, the fight began.
"Katon: Flame Cannon!"
Forming hand seals, Kuro used a technique he had recently learned with Orochimaru's help. An uncontrollable torrent of fire burst from his mouth; the temperature surged, and the air itself seemed to melt.
Taguma didn't hesitate for a single second. He immediately leapt back and used a technique of his own:
"Doton: Stone Wall!"
The flames crashed into the stone, forcing it to crack and crumble. But Nara already felt the enemy's chakra vanish from the point of impact.
Gone? Behind me!
Kuro sensed the danger and reacted instantly—one hand seal, and his shadow expanded, wrapping around Taguma's legs. The hand holding a kunai, already raised to strike, froze in midair.
"Got you," Nara said calmly.
But the nukenin's face showed no panic at all—on the contrary, it twisted into a grin. Faint sparks burst out from beneath his vest. Kuro realized something was wrong and leapt back at the last moment as a massive toad emerged from the shadow in front of him.
Taguma's body exploded into pieces—but it was only a mud clone, packed with explosives.
Kuro, who had taken cover behind Gama, emerged completely unharmed and asked with a mocking grin:
"Wow, not bad. You really thought something like that would be enough to deal with me? Come on, I'm only ten—maybe go a little easier?"
Hearing this, Taguma flew into a rage and rushed forward, clutching a kunai.
"Shut up, you stupid brat! I was killing enemies before you were even born!"
Dodging Gama's tongue along the way, he closed the distance, while Nara didn't move an inch. A moment before the strike, a massive wall of rabbits suddenly formed in front of the stunned nukenin. There were far too many of them—the rabbits began forming a dome around Taguma, forcing him to quickly leap backward.
But from behind the wall, a kunai coated in wind chakra flew straight at him. The nukenin didn't have time to react—the blade buried itself in his stomach. Taguma's face twisted in pain, and the ground beneath him was stained with blood. He had no time to catch his breath.
Using Shunshin, Kuro was already behind him with a raised kunai. Taguma managed to react and turned to counter—but right before the blades collided, two of Nara's fingers thrust forward, and a small, invisible slash split the kunai in the nukenin's hand in half. Kuro's blade continued onward, delivering three rapid strikes: the first severed an arm, the second slashed across the body, and the last pierced the enemy's temple, becoming the decisive end of the battle.
Kuro stood over Taguma's body, gripping the kunai tightly. The wind fluttered the edges of his clothes, carrying the rustle of leaves and the smell of blood across the field. He looked at his palm—it trembled almost imperceptibly.
Damn… I… I really killed a person.
The thought struck suddenly, like a whip. His head buzzed with the realization. The boy froze, staring into empty space.
I killed him. For the first time…
He jerked his head sharply, as if trying to shake off the delusion.
No. No, no, no!
In an instant, fragments flashed through his mind: Taguma's cruel grin, the raised kunai, the bloody torrent after the final attack.
I knew this would happen and I prepared myself for this day. This isn't Earth—this is a completely different world with its own rules. That bastard tried to kill me. He wanted to blow up a ten-year-old child. What could he possibly deserve other than death?!
Kuro clenched his fist until his bones cracked.
Either him—or me.
Soon, Nara's heavy breathing returned to normal. He closed his eyes and slapped himself hard across the cheek, regaining control of his mind. When he opened his eyes again, there was no shock left—only cold, quiet acceptance.
Turning around, Kuro glanced toward the hounds. Iwate, covered in blood with a mangled arm, was still trying to break through Yami and Yuki. He thrashed about in fury but couldn't even get close—Yuki lunged with a roar, clamping down on his wrist and, with a crunch, sinking his fangs deeper, tearing it off instantly. A piercing scream echoed across the clearing.
Turning his head, the nukenin saw that his comrade was dead, and above the corpse stood a boy who looked as though he hadn't taken a single wound. A kind of mad hope began to flicker in the man's eyes.
"K-Kid!" he rasped. "You're a shinobi too. We should understand each other. This is just a mission, ordinary work… I—I'll surrender! Your group passed the test, we'll just leave!"
But Kuro stepped closer. His face showed no emotion.
"Mission, job, test, or mere whim—it doesn't matter anymore," he said slowly. "You attacked me and you lost."
From behind, Yuki bit the nukenin's leg. Feeling a surge of pain, he screamed and dropped to one knee. The next second, the man heard the boy's cold words.
"That's why you died."
In a lightning-fast motion, Kuro plunged the blade into Iwate's heart. The body jerked, released its final breath, and collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
The Divine Dogs slowly stepped aside, and the remaining shikigami began to dissolve back into the shadows, leaving behind only silence. Kuro stood there, looking at the lifeless enemy—and realized that his hand was no longer trembling.
A long-awaited message surfaced in his mind.
Character Power Unlocked: 25%
While Kuro examined the notification, the battlefield was still alive with motion. The clash of blades continued to ring through the air. Mikoto and Sato were still locked in their duel.
With every exchange of blows, Mikoto felt herself growing stronger. Her katana moved with precision honed by weeks of relentless training. And Sato's movements had already been completely copied—every strike, every defense, even the rare feints he tried to employ.
The nukenin was no longer fighting an opponent, but his own reflection. He took a few steps back, his breathing ragged, panic clear in his eyes. Another attempt to rush forward ended in failure—Uchiha saw everything in advance. A block, a sharp counter. A few brief exchanges—and in the next second, the enemy suddenly froze.
His arms wouldn't move. His legs felt rooted to the ground, and his sword hung motionless in the air.
"W-what… what did you do?!" he rasped, his gaze darting wildly around.
Mikoto slowly lowered her blade. She took a step forward, looking straight at Sato.
"You looked into my eyes…" she said impassively. "Right at the very beginning. Before you realized I possessed a dōjutsu."
The nukenin's pupils dilated. He remembered—a quick, fleeting glance, just a single moment.
"From the very beginning…?"
Understanding crashed over him like icy water. All this time… she had been playing with him. The revelation stripped him of all hope. He tried to say something—but didn't have time.
Mikoto lunged and, with a sharp motion, slit his throat. Without unnecessary words or emotion. As if she were merely finishing another exercise.
Sato gurgled, his body shuddered… then fell to its knees, and finally face-first into the ground.
She stood motionless, watching a thick stream of blood pour from his throat. Then calmly wiped her blade on the fallen enemy's clothes and sheathed her katana.
Orochimaru's recently spoken words surfaced in her mind:
"You are an Uchiha. Close combat and genjutsu are your weapons. You just need to learn how to use them."
Mikoto slowly turned and saw Kuro standing a short distance away. He didn't interfere—he simply watched. Nara knew they had to go through this. They all knew.
On the battlefield, the final fight still raged.
Bando stood there, breathing heavily, his chest heaving. The stone armor covering his body was cracked in several places across his shoulders and chest. His chakra was nearly depleted, and he himself stood on the brink of defeat.
After deflecting the last strike from a clone, the nukenin frantically scanned the area, searching for the original. His body wouldn't obey; his ears rang, his vision blurred. And then—
"FROM ABOVE!" a loud voice rang out, and in the next instant, Nawaki came crashing down from the sky.
He descended like a meteor, his fist raised and filled with the last of his chakra. Bando barely managed to raise his arm, concentrating what remained of his defensive technique into it.
"Doton: Stone Armor!" he rasped, charging forward.
The two fists collided. The air shuddered from the powerful shockwave, and the ground beneath them split apart. A column of dust shot up into the sky.
And when the dust settled, an astonishing sight was revealed: Nawaki stood there, breathing heavily, with a victorious, almost childlike smile on his face. Beneath him, in the newly formed crater, lay the unconscious body of Bando. His armor was shattered, his face drenched in sweat and blood, his eyes closed.
"It worked…" the Senju murmured, lowering his hands.